Curriculum

All LEARNZ field trips targeting primary and secondary schools are closely linked to the New Zealand curriculum, in particular science, social studies and geography. They can also be used by other subject teachers.

The New Zealand Curriculum - NZC

Key Competencies

LEARNZ virtual field trips contribute to the development of all five key competencies:

Key Competencies

Examples of Related Field Trip Components

Thinking

Constructing questions to put to experts during Audioconferences and via Ask-an-Expert.

Using language, symbols and texts

Interpreting and making meaning of a variety of language and symbols in the Background Pages and throughout the web site.

Managing self

Numerous content-related Activities provide students with chances to engage with the material and create their own interpretation of the content.

Relating to others

Videos connect students with a range of expert opinions. Students listen actively when seeking answers to video questions.

Participating and contributing

LEARNZ Virtual Field Trips are an ideal medium for group-based topic inquiry. They also enable students to transfer new learning into the context of their own communities where they are encouraged to take action.

(See page 12-13 NZC 2007)

Values

The Antarctica field trip encourages, models and explores these values:

innovation, inquiry and curiosity

diversity

community and participation

(see page 10 NZC 2007).

E-learning and pedagogy

The Antarctica field trip directly involves learning that is supported by information and communication technology (ICT). In particular, the trip will:

Assist the making of connections by enabling students to enter and explore new learning environments, overcoming barriers of distance and time.

Facilitate shared learning by enabling students to join or create communities of learners that extend well beyond the classroom.

Enhance opportunities to learn by offering students virtual experiences and tools that save them time, allowing them to take their learning further (Page 36 NZC 2007).

Social Science

Strand

Achievement Aims

Background Pages

Related Activities

Social Studies

Place and Environment

Level 2 Understand how places influence people and people influence places

Level 3 Understand how people view and use places differently

Level 5 Understand how people's management of resources impacts on environmental and social sustainability

All

Activities

Science

Strand

Achievement Aims

Background Pages

Related Activities

The Nature of Science

Participating and contributing

Levels 1-2: Explore and act on issues and questions that link their science learning to their daily living.

Level 3-4: Use their growing science knowledge when considering issues of concern to them.

Understanding about science

Levels 1-2: Appreciate that scientists ask questions about our world that lead to investigations and that open-mindedness is important because there may be more than one explanation.

Level 3-4: Identify ways in which scientists work together and provide evidence to support their ideas.

Communicating in science

Level 3-4: Begin to use a range of scientific symbols, conventions and vocabulary.

Activities

Planet Earth and Beyond

Earth systems

Level 2-5; Explore and describe natural features and resources

Interacting systems

Level 2-5; Describe how natural features are changed and resources affected by natural events and human actions.

Level 2-5; Observe, describe, and compare physical and chemical properties of common materials and changes that occur when materials are mixed, heated, or cooled.

Activities

Living World

Ecology

Level 2-5; Expalin how living things are suited to their particular habitat and how they respond to environmental changes.

Activities

Technology

Strand

Achievement Aims

Background Pages

Related Activities

Technological Knowledge

Technological Products

Level 1-3; Understand the relationship between the materials used and their performance properties in technological products.

Activities

Technological Practice

Planning for practice

Level 1-3; Undertake planning to identify the key stages and resources required to develop an outcome. Revisit planning to include reviews of progress and identify implications for subsequent decision making.

Brief development

Level 1-3; Describe the nature of an intended outcome, explaining how it addresses the need or opportunity. Describe the key attributes that enable development and evaluation of an outcome.

Outcome development and evaluation

Level 1-3; Investigate a context to develop ideas for potential outcomes. Trial and evaluate these against key attributes to select and develop an outcome to address the need or opportunity. Evaluate this outcome against the key attributes and how it addresses the need or opportunity.

Activities

Nature of Technology

Nature of Technology

Level 1-3; Understand how technological development expands human possibilities and how technology draws on knowledge from a wide range of disciplines.

Activities

English

The selected processes and strategies indicators used in the table below are from Level three of the NZC, but aim to cover indicators from levels two to four.

Strand

Processes and Strategies Indicators

Example of Related Field Trip Component

Listening, Reading and Viewing

selects and reads for enjoyment and personal fulfilment

recognises connections between oral, written, and visual language

integrates sources of information and prior knowledge confidently to make sense of increasingly varied and complex texts

thinks critically about texts with increasing understanding and confidence

printed copies of Background Pages could be part of classroom library

making links between Audioconferences, Background Pages, and Videos

Audioconferences, Audioconference Backchannel, Videos, Diaries, and Ask-an-Expert can be used to make sense of Background Pages and Diaries and generate questions to put to experts for further clarification

Speaking, Writing and Presenting

uses an increasing understanding of the connections between oral, written, and visual language when creating texts

creates a range of texts by integrating sources of information and processing strategies with increasing confidence

making the connection between Audioconferences, Background Pages, Videos, and own discussion when generating written responses

assimilate information from Audioconferences, Background Pages, Videos, and Ask-an-Expert to create a range of texts